What is a Panda Plant (Kalanchoe Tomentosa)? More than 100 varieties of Kalanchoe grow in the wilds of Africa and other parts of the Old World. Kalanchoe tomentosa grows wild on the island of Madagascar. In its native environment, growing Kalanchoe panda plants have a woody base and reach several feet (1 m.). As an indoor plant, however, panda plant growth is limited by the size of the container, usually reaching only 1 to 2 feet (31-61 cm....

What Makes Blueberries Sour? The first thing to do when garden blueberries are sour is to determine the characteristics of the cultivar you have chosen. With hundreds of types of blueberries available, the cultivar fruit taste can vary from tart to sweet. If your bushes are intended to produce tart or sour fruit, you may want to select new cultivars. A common cause of sour blueberry fruit is over-production on a bush....

Water Quality in Gardens When a plant is watered, it absorbs the water through its roots, then through a vascular system similar to the circulatory system of the human body. The water moves up the plant and into its stems, leaves, buds, and fruit. When this water is contaminated, that contamination will be dispersed throughout the entire plant. This is not such a concern for plants that are purely ornamental, but eating fruits or veggies from contaminated plants can make you very sick....

What are Latin Plant Names? Unlike its common name (of which there may be several), the Latin name for a plant is unique to each plant. Scientific Latin plant names help describe both the “genus” and “species” of plants in order to better categorize them. The binomial (two-name) system of nomenclature was developed by Swedish naturalist, Carl Linnaeus in the mid-1700s. Grouping plants according to similarities such as leaves, flowers, and fruit, he founded a natural order and named them accordingly....

Types of Iceberg Roses The Original Iceberg Rose The original Iceberg rose was bred by Reimer Kordes of Kordes Roses in Germany and introduced in 1958. This white blooming floribunda rose bush has a strong fragrance along with being very disease resistant. Iceberg rose’s white blooms are so bright it is hard to capture them well in a photo. The Iceberg rose’s winter hardiness is well known too, which has led to her popularity....

Plant Life of the Tundra Are there plants in the Artic? There are more than a few plants. Some 1,700 species of plants live in this ecosystem, and these include flowering plants, dwarf shrubs, herbs, grasses, mosses, and lichens. Since much of the soil is permanently frozen, plants only have a thin soil layer – termed the active layer – that thaws every summer, making shallow roots a necessary adaptation. The active layer of soil is free from ice for only 50 to 90 days....

What are Rambler Roses? The rambler or rambling roses are one of the ancestors of the climbing rose bushes of today. The rambler roses descended mostly from the roses known as R. wichuraiana and R. multiflora, which are very large, and hardy rose bushes with flexible canes that pretty much bloom only once in the early summertime, although some will bloom more often. The R. wichuraiana roses are said to have the stronger canes that allow them to be excellent for even the most challenging of climbing situations....

How to Step-by-Step Prune Wisteria So, first things first. When do you prune wisteria? You will want to prune wisteria in midwinter and again in the summer time. In the summer, pruning your wisteria should be done about two months after it flowers. When it comes to how to trim a wisteria, you first should recognize that regular wisteria trimming should be done to control growth and encourage more flowers. You cut the season’s current shoots back to within three buds from the base....

If you are interested in growing deciduous shrubs, it’s helpful to have a few in mind before you begin shopping. Read on for a short list of deciduous shrubs that are hard to resist. Growing Deciduous Shrubs Popular with homeowners, shrubs are multi-stemmed plants that are shorter than most trees and can fit into almost any garden. They range from small to tall, from dense to sparse. There are two basic types: evergreen – that bear foliage all year long – and deciduous, that lose their foliage during the cold season That’s why it’s easier to identify deciduous shrubs in winter....

Sunlight for Your Herb Garden First and foremost, you’ll need to choose a site that receives at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day. Most herbs need plenty of sunshine in order to grow and reach their full potential. Herbs, like most sun-loving plants that don’t receive their minimum daily allowance of sunlight, will end up leggy, awkward-looking, and unproductive instead of lush, beautiful, and useful. Before digging, spend a day making note of all the sunny spots in your yard....

Using Tree Stumps as Planters Creating planters from stumps is not only a good way to spruce up these eyesores but offers other benefits too. For example, as the wood decays, it will help nourish plants with additional nutrients. Plus, the more you water, the quicker your stump will deteriorate. You also have a number of options when it comes to planting and designing your stump container. While I find annual flowers to be the easiest to plant, there are many other types you can choose too, depending on your needs and personal preferences....

Turning Lawns into Meadows Careful planning before you plant your meadow garden will prevent a multitude of headaches later on when it comes to meadow lawn care. You may want to start with a small meadow, especially if you want to retain a grassy area for picnics or for children to play. Native meadow plants require plenty of light and air, so be sure you have an open, sunny area. Research the laws and landscape ordinances in your area to ensure a meadow lawn is acceptable, then tell your neighbors your plans before you begin....

Midwest Shade Plants: Choosing shade tolerant plants for Midwest regions covers a wide range of zones and growing conditions. The good news is that you can choose from a diverse variety of plants that will thrive in a Midwest shade garden. Below are a few possibilities. Toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta): Shade plants for the Midwest include this showy perennial that produces green, lance-shaped leaves and unique orchid-like blooms of pink, white, or variegated with purple spots....

Not to be discouraged, gardeners can explore other options for growing their own produce at home. Growing a countertop hydroponic garden, for example, may be one solution. Hydroponics on the Counter Hydroponic gardening is a water-based type of growing. Rather than using soil, nutrient rich water is used to grow and nourish plants. As the plants germinate and begin to grow, the root system becomes established using a variety of seed starting materials....

Slime mold on grass is not damaging to the turf, but if appearance is a problem you can remove it. You might think this mold turfgrass disease should be killed to protect the health of your grass. However, treatments are not effective and this interesting organism might be better left undisturbed. This is something you decide after you learn a few facts about lawn slime mold. Lawn Slime Mold Although most often you will find a black substance on lawns in moist warm conditions, slime mold can come in many colors....

What is a Moon Garden? A moon garden is simply a garden that is meant to be enjoyed by the light of the moon, or at nighttime. Moon garden designs include white or lightly colored blooms that open at night, plants that release sweet fragrances at night, and/or plant foliage that adds a unique texture, color, or shape at night. Plants with light blooms that open at night will reflect the moonlight, making them pop out against the darkness....

Information About Growing Mullein Common mullein plants are large, erect specimens with huge, furry leaves and tall stalks of yellow flower rosettes. The attractive foliage and flowers, as well as mullein uses, lead some to grow mullein in gardens. However, common mullein produces seeds prolifically, leaving them for decades before germination. Seeds often germinate in disturbed areas of roadways, fields, and riverbanks. This may lead the gardener to wonder, “What is mullein?...

Do Bleeding Hearts Change Color? An herbaceous perennial, bleeding hearts pop up early in the spring and then being rather ephemeral, die fairly quickly back until the following year. Generally speaking, they will bloom again the same color they did the successive year, but not always because, yes, bleeding hearts can change color. Why are Bleeding Heart Flowers Changing Color? There are a few reasons for a bleeding heart color change....

Yes, a Spider Plant Has Tubers Spider plants are old-fashioned indoor plants in the lily family, Liliaceae. These plants have been handed down from generation to generation and are important heritage plants to many families. The spiderettes that form on the ends of the spider plant stolons can be divided away and started as new plants. Thick roots will form quickly on the spiderettes, even if they are taken from the mother....

My Venus Flytrap Won’t Close Probably the biggest reason your Venus flytrap does not snap shut is that it’s exhausted, sort of. The leaves of the flytrap have short, stiff cilia or trigger hairs. When something touches these hairs enough to bend them, the dual lobes of the leaves close, effectively trapping the “something” inside in less than a second. There is a lifespan for these leaves, however. Ten to twelve times of snapping shut and they cease to function as trapping leaves and remain open, functioning as photosynthesizers....